Multiple circuit connecter device



July 19,1938. c. NEESEN MULTIPLE CIRCUIT CONNECTER DEVICE Fi led Sept. 9, 1936 INVENTOR IZZES BY 7 ATTORNEY Patented July 19, 1938 PATENT oFF ce 2,124,207 MULTIPLE cmcorr comcran nnvwn Carl Neesen, Berlin,

Germany, assignor to Allegemeine Elektricitatz Gesellschait, Berlin, c

Germany Application September 8,1936, Serial'No. 99,936

In Germany September 16, 1935 3 Claims. (01. 173-3321 This invention relates to a connecter ,or coupler body adapted to unite four or more lines or circuit ends and which is used in lieu of the conventional type of plug and socket coupling means and which is useful for example, for the 'connec-.

tion of dynamic loudspeakers in public address or similar large-volume loudspeaker installations in which at the same time two. lines carrying the supply-line current and two circuitsfor the oscillatory or voice coil of the loudspeaker must be connected. The connecter moreover serves the purpose to provide ways'and means for connecting extension or temporary lines and wiring for loudspeaker equipment of the said sort.

Now, that a defective or wrong connection is. precluded in a simple manner. With this end in view, alternately pins or prongs 'andcontact bushes surrounded with insulation material are mounted, the insulation mounting being made of such cross-sectional or profile form that only such line or circuit ends as belong together may actually be ,united; In order that the prongs or pins of one coupler member may not be able to come into physical contact with the prongs of the co-operating contact or coupler member when establishing connections with the risks of thus connecting a low-currentline with a power circuit and thus causing a short-circuit, the insulation lining of the contact bushes extends beyond tlfe prongs.

Owing to the fact that the contact member is alernately provided with pins and section insulation'linings for the bushes, conditions are made so that the member used as the plug has exactly the same form as the one used for the socket with the result that changeable.

A contact or coupler accdr'ding to the invention is shown schematically in the annexed drawing in which, Fig. 1 is a schematic view ofa four pole coupler for a dynamic loudspeaker in perspective, and Fig. 2 is another embodiment of the such parts as carthey arereplaceable and internumerals and letters.

Referring to plug member a, an intermediate cable with coupling pieces bi, M, at the two ends thereof, and the receptacle (connecter socket) c for the dynamic loudspeaker (not shown). The lines I, 2, furnish the field current for the loudspeaker, while leads 3, '4, feed the voice coil. The'contact pieces a, bi, b2, and according to this invention have been so designed that the contact-making means of each thereof consist alternately oi the contact body or coupler is so designed a instance, are placed in cross-section.

identical rei'erence Fig. 1, the coupler comprisesaa pins 5 and 01' bushes or sockets 1 provided with an insulation mounting body 8. In order that the pins 6,. when connecting the intermediate cable and coupling member bi and plug a may not make physical contact, the insulation mounting 6 of the bushes l is made longer than the' prongs I.

The insulation mounting 6 for the bushes I in each coupler piece is moreover so designed that one has a projection or extension 8, while the other one is furnished with a corresponding recess 9, so that the coupler members bl, a or M c are capable of being united only when in very definite positions, that is to say, in such a way that upon'the connection of adjacent sockets, the insulation lining 6 having a projection 8 of one of the bushes or sockets will come to engage in the corresponding recess in' the insulation lining of the other socket of the respective other coupling member..

In lieu of the ing and recess arrangement shown, the insulation linings could also be made of dissimilar cross-sectional sizes.

The coupling members could also be-made of a different shape in which the contact means, for one row adjacent one another as shown in Fig. 2. Also 'in this instance,

non-interchangeableness is insured in that the insulation of the socket is provided with projec tion and recess, or made of greater or smaller What is also common to all embodiments is that the contact-pins or prongs are disposed so as to be protected by the insulation lining of the sockets with the result that there will be no damage in case the plug should happen to fall on the ground, an ever-present risk in the case of the usual plugs having pins or prongs.

By the arrangement of. contact or coupler as here disclosed it is possible to make conditions so that always only lines or circuit ends that really belong together may be coupled up, and that the coupler members are all designed alike so that they can 'be interchanged at will, and this, of

, course, makes forlow cost of production.

Having described my invention, what I claim as novel and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:v

1. A connecter device comprising plug and socket members, said members being similar and each comprising an insulating base portion, spaced apart contact members projecting from said base portion, said base portion having an upstanding portion which projects beyond the ends of. said contact members, one edge of said upstanding portion having a notch formed therein and the having a socket contained therein,

and a pair of hollow contacts mounted in said upstanding portion, the hollow contacts of the plug being arranged to receive the contact members of the socket.

2. A coupling device for connecting together a plurality of conductor terminals comprising a pair of members, each being a duplicate of the other and each comprising a base portion, a pair of upright, substantially sector-shaped, diametrically opposed portions extending from and integral with the base portion, each sector-shaped portion and a pair of 2,124,207 v opposite edge having a lug'shaped like said notch 

